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Finch to announce sale of Phoenix Racing on July 15

Longtime owner says he has a potential buyer lined up

Regan Smith drives the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevy during the Coca-Cola 600 in March at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

DEAN HENSLEY/ TIMES-NEWS

By JASON SHOOTHalifax Media Group

Published: Friday, June 28, 2013 at 8:50 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 28, 2013 at 8:50 p.m.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — James Finch's exit from NASCAR is all but official.

Finch said Thursday that he expects to announce the sale of the Spartanburg-based Phoenix Racing on July 15. He said the prospective owner passed muster in terms of the most necessary qualification for owning a team that competes in Sprint Cup and Nationwide racing.

"He's somebody who's got money," Finch said.

Unable to find a long-term sponsor for his racing team the past three years, Finch has been saddled with the exorbitant costs required to drive on a weekly basis. Unwilling to shoulder that burden any longer, he said previously that he intended to race through the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 28 before ceasing operations.

Now he believes he has found a buyer who will take over and keep the team running through the rest of the year and beyond. Finch wouldn't reveal who the potential buyer is, but he did say the prospective owner has not owned a racing team before.

"I'm in negotiations with an individual to buy the team, and if he does that I'll let him finish out the year," Finch said, adding that details of the sale will be reserved until July 15. "He's a qualified buyer, so hopefully we can make everything work."

Phoenix Racing has collected 13 victories on the Nationwide circuit, and Finch celebrated his lone Sprint Cup victory when Brad Keselowski pushed Carl Edwards aside late in the race to win the Aaron's 499 at Talladega in 2009. Finch has operated Phoenix Racing since 1990.

"I've got close to 800 starts," Finch said. "That's a lot of weekends, you know what I mean? I'll help (the new owner) get started and stuff like that. I'll go attend some races a little bit, but I'll be out of ownership. I might run a few Nationwide races out of his shop, go play or something. But full-time is over for me."

Finch said he wouldn't describe his exit from racing as a funeral. He said he prefers to think of it more as a particularly expensive parting of ways.

"It feels like a divorce," he said, laughing. "You've paid your dues, and it's time to move on. ... On the 15th we'll make an announcement who's taking over. Hopefully it works, you know what I'm saying? You can't say it's a done deal ... until he transfers the money.

"We're going to the shop (in Spartanburg) this next week and telling the employees, ‘Here's the new guy, and this is the plan.' "

Phoenix Racing had Jacques Villeneuve behind the wheel on the road course at Sonoma Raceway in California last weekend, and Finch said Austin Dillon will drive the No. 51 Chevrolet this weekend in Kentucky. The Sprint Cup schedule rolls through Daytona next week for the Coke Zero 400, and Finch said he will have Regan Smith or AJ Allmendinger in the driver's seat for that race.

"Regan's concentrating on trying to win the Nationwide championship," Finch said. "If he wants to drive at Daytona, he's been so good the last two (restrictor) plate races I'm going to give him the opportunity.

"If he wants to concentrate on the Nationwide championship then we will have AJ finish up the next three races."

<p>PANAMA CITY BEACH — James Finch's exit from NASCAR is all but official.</p><p>Finch said Thursday that he expects to announce the sale of the Spartanburg-based Phoenix Racing on July 15. He said the prospective owner passed muster in terms of the most necessary qualification for owning a team that competes in Sprint Cup and Nationwide racing.</p><p>"He's somebody who's got money," Finch said.</p><p>Unable to find a long-term sponsor for his racing team the past three years, Finch has been saddled with the exorbitant costs required to drive on a weekly basis. Unwilling to shoulder that burden any longer, he said previously that he intended to race through the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 28 before ceasing operations.</p><p>Now he believes he has found a buyer who will take over and keep the team running through the rest of the year and beyond. Finch wouldn't reveal who the potential buyer is, but he did say the prospective owner has not owned a racing team before.</p><p>"I'm in negotiations with an individual to buy the team, and if he does that I'll let him finish out the year," Finch said, adding that details of the sale will be reserved until July 15. "He's a qualified buyer, so hopefully we can make everything work."</p><p>Phoenix Racing has collected 13 victories on the Nationwide circuit, and Finch celebrated his lone Sprint Cup victory when Brad Keselowski pushed Carl Edwards aside late in the race to win the Aaron's 499 at Talladega in 2009. Finch has operated Phoenix Racing since 1990.</p><p>"I've got close to 800 starts," Finch said. "That's a lot of weekends, you know what I mean? I'll help (the new owner) get started and stuff like that. I'll go attend some races a little bit, but I'll be out of ownership. I might run a few Nationwide races out of his shop, go play or something. But full-time is over for me."</p><p>Finch said he wouldn't describe his exit from racing as a funeral. He said he prefers to think of it more as a particularly expensive parting of ways.</p><p>"It feels like a divorce," he said, laughing. "You've paid your dues, and it's time to move on. ... On the 15th we'll make an announcement who's taking over. Hopefully it works, you know what I'm saying? You can't say it's a done deal ... until he transfers the money.</p><p>"We're going to the shop (in Spartanburg) this next week and telling the employees, 'Here's the new guy, and this is the plan.' "</p><p>Phoenix Racing had Jacques Villeneuve behind the wheel on the road course at Sonoma Raceway in California last weekend, and Finch said Austin Dillon will drive the No. 51 Chevrolet this weekend in Kentucky. The Sprint Cup schedule rolls through Daytona next week for the Coke Zero 400, and Finch said he will have Regan Smith or AJ Allmendinger in the driver's seat for that race.</p><p>"Regan's concentrating on trying to win the Nationwide championship," Finch said. "If he wants to drive at Daytona, he's been so good the last two (restrictor) plate races I'm going to give him the opportunity.</p><p>"If he wants to concentrate on the Nationwide championship then we will have AJ finish up the next three races."</p>